Golf tees are typically used to raise a golf ball above the playing surface in order that the golfer may more easily strike the golf ball. Conventional golf tees typically comprise a slender wooden or plastic shaft having one end which is tapered to facilitate insertion into the ground, and a second end comprising a small concave cup for supporting a golf ball.
While conventional golf tees provide satisfactory support functions for a golf ball, these tees have many drawbacks. First, in order for the tee to support the ball, the tapered end of the tee must be driven into the playing surface. This may be difficult, however, when the playing surface is very hard. This situation may arise, for example, when the ground is rocky or firm, or is frozen. Alternatively, this may happen when the player is practicing at an indoor area or at a driving range where the tee area is concrete, carpet, or other solid impermeable material.
Second, conventional tees require a large amount of wood or plastic, and, when made of wood, are often broken and require frequent replacement. Further, such tees have no utility other than to support a golf ball.
While efforts have been made to place advertisements or messages on conventional tees, limitations render imprinting the tee relatively useless. Because of the size and shape of the conventional tee, however, it is difficult to print anything on the tee, and it is not possible to put a large quantity of printed material onto the tee. Further, because of the overall shape of these tees, they are not suited to being distributed and used as advertisements or business cards.
Several alternatives to the conventional tee have been fashioned for teeing up a golf ball. Many of these tees are constructed from a flat sheet of paper or another similar material folded into a complex support structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,674,814 to Anderson discloses a golf tee comprising a flat sheet of cardboard having two sides which can be interconnected to provide a golf ball support structure.
Some of these tees have the advantage that they are more suitable for displaying printing or other materials thereon. Unfortunately, these alternative tees all suffer from the fact that when in their flat state (if such a state is possible) the shape of the device is not business card-like, or the device is not entirely suitable for printing material thereon. For example, when such tees are in their "flat" state, there are often many creases and/or holes in the device, rendering it difficult to place printing thereon. Further, some of these devices have exhibited some suitability for use as an advertisement, but have not been well suited to supporting a golf ball when configured into a tee.
There remains a need therefore, for a device which can be used as a business card or other advertising device, and which can also act as a suitable golf tee. Such a device should easily be transformable from a business card into a golf tee and vice versa, and when in golf tee form, provide adequate support for a golf ball.